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Card Counting Is Easier Than People Think

Card Counting Systems Hi-Lo Count The Hi-Lo Count may be the most widely known count in blackjack, and is a count that most serious card counters have used at one point or another.

It isn’t memorizing all the cards that come out of an 8 deck shoe. Instead, it is just knowing the difference between the number of small cards and the number of big cards.

People unfamiliar with card counting tend to think that it requires great memorization and this simply isn’t true. The misconception is that one must keep track of every single card to be successful.

The reality is that the player simply groups cards with a point system as follows:
2, 3, 4, 5, 6: +1
7, 8, 9: 0
T, J, Q, K, A: -1

Here is a graphical version of the groupings:

Getting rid of low cards is a good thing so we score positive points when that happens.
Mid cards are neutral so we don’t have to keep track of them.
Getting rid of broadway cards is bad, we need those big cards for blackjack! Our count loses points/value when these great cards get used up.

We only need to know the difference between the number of small cards that have been used up and the number of big cards. It’s as simple as that.

Hand Example

It’s the first hand of the shoe. I stand on T4 since the dealer is showing a 6. He then shows a 2 as his other card. He hits and gets a Jack (J).

What is the count at the end of this hand?

If you answered +1 then you’re right. Here are the details:
T: -1
4: +1
6: +1
2: +1
J: -1
—–
total: +1

This is the running count but what really matters is the true count. We’ll get to the true count later.

Another Hand Example

As we saw above, the first hand of the shoe gave us a running count of +1. We’re now on the second hand and it goes like this:

Me: AQ
Dealer: 5K7

Here are the count details for this second hand:
A: -1
Q: -1
5: +1
K: -1
7: 0
—-
total: -2

What is the running count now? It was +1 at the start of this second hand. The second hand deducted 2 points from the running count so now the running count is -1.

Running Count

The running count is the sum of the individual counts of all hands in the shoe.

If the individual count of the first hand in the shoe is +1 then the running count is +1. If the second hand in this shoe has an individual count of -2 then the running count becomes -1. If the third hand in this shoe has an individual count of +3 then the running count becomes +2.

True Count

The true count is the running count divided by the number of decks left in the shoe. For example, if there are 2 decks left in the shoe and the running count is +4 then the true count is +2. On the negative side, if the running count is -6 and there are 2 decks left then the true count is -3.

Betting Strategy

If the true count is near 0 or below 0 then players bet the minimum. Players bet more as the true count gets high above 0. We use a betting system where the betting unit is the same as the table minimum. Starting with +1, every one point increase in the true count adds another betting unit.

Here is our betting strategy on a $10 minimum table:

Count 0 or Less: bet $10
Count +1: bet $20
Count +2: bet $30
…
Count +x: bet 10*(x+1)

Our blackjack betting strategy section has more details on the thinking behind our betting strategy.

Card Counting Systems: Hi Lo vs Hi Opt

Everything we’ve explained here is for the Hi Lo card counting system. The Hi Opt card counting system is almost the same thing except that in Hi Opt the deuces and aces are not counted. In other words, in Hi Opt both A and 2 are 0 instead of -1 and +1 respectively.

Online Practice

Of course the best way to practice card counting online is to use our trainer tool. Beginners have the option of trying a few hands to make sure they get the right count on each hand individually. Intermediate counters can go through the shoe and see if they are able to keep the correct running count. Advanced players can make sure they are sizing their bets correctly based on the true count.

Offline Practice

Find a deck of cards and deal out all but one while keeping track of the running count. At this point the count is either -1, 0, or +1. Based on this information, you know if the last cards is small, medium, or large. After the last card is dealt then the count is back to zero if you counted all the cards correctly.

Save The Big Bets For Times When Odds Are Good

This isn’t rocket science. Instead of randomly changing the size of bets, players should increase bet sizes when the true count says odds are good.

The Hi-Lo system for counting cards in blackjack is one of the
most venerable advantage strategies in the casino. When most
people who know anything about card counting discuss the
subject, they’re talking about this specific system. It’s easily
understood, effective, and effective. If you’ve read any kind of
scholarly or mathematical analysis of how and why counting gets
an edge over the casino, chances are good that the study used
the Hi-Lo System for analysis purposes.

According to Norm Wattenberger at QFIT, the strategy was
originally created by Harvey Dubner in 1963. Julian Braun made some refinements, then Edward Thorp
published the system in his book Beat the Dealer (which is considered by many to be the first card counting
book.) It was then further refined by Stanford Wong and published again in the book Professional Blackjack.

How to Count Cards Using the Hi-Lo System

We wrote extensively about card counting in general on our main card counting page, but in brief, here’s how
it works:

Card counters track the ratio of high cards to low cards left in the deck so that they can raise their bets when
the odds are in their favor. When a deck has a relatively high number of aces and 10 cards in it, you’re more
likely to be dealt a blackjack (or a “natural”) and receive the 3 to 2 payout. If you don’t understand why this
works, try a little thought experiment:

Take a deck of cards, and remove all the cards that aren’t aces or 10s.
Do you think you’d be more likely to be dealt a blackjack with that deck?
Of course you would, and the reasons are obvious.

But the reality is that every card dealt out of the deck affects those odds. If you can keep a rough estimate
going of that ratio, you’ll know when to raise your bets and by how much.

So every card in the Hi-Lo System is assigned a value, and as you see each card, you add or subtract that value
in order to maintain a running count.

Here’s the value assigned to each card in this system:

• Aces and 10s are worth -1.
• 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s are worth +1.
• 7s, 8s, and 9s are wordth 0.

You might notice that there are 20 cards worth +1 (4 of each rank.) There are also 20 cards worth -1. (4 aces,
4 jacks, 4 queens, 4 kings, and 4 10s.) Since the cards are assigned values of +1 and -1, and since there are
the same number of cards of each value, this is called a “balanced count”. If you count through an entire deck
of cards using this system, you’ll end up with a total of 0. That’s true of any balanced counting system.

You’ll also notice that you’re only required to add 1 or subtract 1. There aren’t cards worth 2 points or 3 points.
This is what card counting experts call a “single level” system. More complicated card counting systems will
sometimes assign different scores to different cards. We know of one system that assigns half points to some
cards.

The goals of these unbalanced and multi-level systems are to increase the accuracy with which you can gauge
your edge against the casino, so you can make more appropriately sized bets. They also provide you with
more accurate information you can use to adjust your strategy decisions based on the count.

Converting the Running Count Into a True Count

If you’re playing in a single deck blackjack game, you don’t have to worry about this. Your running count is a
more-or-less accurate representation of how good or bad the deck is.

But not all games are single deck games.

In fact, most games use 6 or 8 decks.

Since there are so many more cards in a pack with multiple decks in it, the effect of each card that’s dealt is
diluted.

Here’s why:

If an ace is dealt out of a single 52 card deck, you only have 3 aces left. That’s a significant change.

But if an ace is dealt out of a pack of cards using 8 decks, you have 31 aces left in the deck. That’s a change,
but it’s not nearly as significant.

To take into account this dilutive effect, you take the running count and divide it by the number of decks left
in the shoe.

Blackjack Trainer Betting Systems

This is a skill you’ll need to practice, too—estimating the number of decks left in the shoe.

The only way to get good at this is to practice, and we suggest practicing at home rather than practicing at
the casino when real money is on the line.

Bet Sizing Using the Hi-Lo System

Most of the edge to be gained from using the Hi-Lo System comes from sizing your bets. To do this, you decide
on a betting range in units before sitting down to play. We’ve seen recommendations that you range your bets
from 1 unit to 4 units, but we’ve also seen recommendations that you be willing to bet up to 10 units.

The reason for using a more conservative max bet is to reduce the chance of getting heat from the casino. Pit
bosses and dealers are aware of how card counting works, and when they see a player ranging her bets wildly,
they start watching to see if you’re counting. If they think you’re counting, they’ll start shuffling every hand.
Or they might even ask you to not play blackjack or even leave the casino entirely.

At any rate, you size your bet based on the true count, not the running count. You start with a single unit, then
multiply that by the true count to get your bet size. But you never go over whatever max you’ve decided on
beforehand, regardless of the count.

• If the count is negative, 0, or 1, you’ll flat bet with your minimum bet.
• If the count is +2, you’ll double that bet size.
• If it’s +3, you’ll triple that bet size.

An so on.

If your betting unit is $100 per hand, you’re looking at betting $200 when the count is +2, $300 when the
count is +3, and so on.

This single change to your playing strategy will give you an edge over the house, assuming that you’re already
playing with basic strategy and not making any other changes.

In fact, this system is excellent at determining when you should raise your bets and by how much. According
to QFIT, the betting correlation for this system is 0.97. (1 would be perfect.) It’s hard to get much better than
that.

Best Betting System For Blackjack

On the other hand, some card counters also like to get an edge by adjusting their basic strategy decisions
based on the count. The Hi-Lo System is significantly less effective for this purpose, with a playing efficiency
score of only 0.51.

Summary

The Hi-Lo System is probably the easiest and most common card counting system in use, and
it’s perfect for beginners. If you decide you want to try counting cards, the Hi-Lo System
is probably the best place to start.

Hi Lo Blackjack

You get an edge with a simple method of calculating the approximate ratio of high cards to low
cards in the deck. All you have to do is add 1 and subtract 1 at the appropriate times.

Blackjack Betting Card

Then you convert that running count into a true count. The true count is what determines
how much you should bet per hand. The increased likelihood of having more money in action
when you have a better chance of getting dealt a blackjack and the corresponding 3 to 2
payout is where you get your edge.

Blackjack Hi Lo Strategy

The Hi-Lo System isn’t the best for informing changes to your basic strategy decisions, but
that’s not where most of your edge comes from anyway. Even experienced advantage
gamblers like David Sklansky recommend using the Hi-Lo System for counting
cards in blackjack.